The invention relates to a method and apparatus for numerically controlled contouring systems. The invention is particularly directed to a system in which the size of the cutter element, especially the diameter thereof, is taken into consideration.
The prior art is replete with patents disclosing numerically controlled milling machines with cutter radius compensation. None of the prior art, however, describes a system in which the main contour control and the sub- or tool-contour control are interrelated and interdependent.